Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos
Ocean acidification has been predicted to reduce the ability of marine organisms to produce carbonate skeletons, threatening their long-term viability and severely impacting marine ecosystems. Corals, as ecosystem engineers, have been identified as particularly vulnerable and important. To determine...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Inter-Research
2011
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/80664 |
id |
ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:80664 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:80664 2023-05-15T17:51:31+02:00 Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos Thresher, RE Tilbrook, BD Fallon, S Wilson, NC Adkins, J 2011 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/80664 en eng Inter-Research http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 Thresher, RE and Tilbrook, BD and Fallon, S and Wilson, NC and Adkins, J, Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos, Marine Ecology - Progress Series, 442 pp. 87-99. ISSN 0171-8630 (2011) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/80664 Earth Sciences Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 2019-12-13T21:45:53Z Ocean acidification has been predicted to reduce the ability of marine organisms to produce carbonate skeletons, threatening their long-term viability and severely impacting marine ecosystems. Corals, as ecosystem engineers, have been identified as particularly vulnerable and important. To determine the sensitivity of corals and allied taxa to long-term exposure to very low carbonate concentrations, we examined the distribution and skeletal characteristics of coral taxa along a natural deep-sea concentration gradient on seamounts of SW Australia. Carbonate under-saturation had little evident effect on the depth distribution, growth or skeletal composition of live scleractinians or gorgonians, with corals growing, often abundantly, in waters as much as 20 to 30% under-saturated. Developmental anomalies in the deepest skeleton-forming anthozoan collected (an isidid gorgonian, at nearly 4 km depth) suggest an absolute low tolerance limit of about 40% under-saturation. Evidence for an effect of acidification on the accumulation of reef structure is ambiguous, with clear indications of dissolution of high-magnesium calcite (HMC) gorgonian skeletons at depths below 2300 m, but also abundant, old scleractinian skeletons well below the aragonite saturation horizon. The latter might be the result of ferromanganese deposition on exposed skeletons, which, however, may render them inhospitable for benthic organisms. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ocean acidification eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Marine Ecology Progress Series 442 87 99 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Chemical Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Thresher, RE Tilbrook, BD Fallon, S Wilson, NC Adkins, J Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Oceanography Chemical Oceanography |
description |
Ocean acidification has been predicted to reduce the ability of marine organisms to produce carbonate skeletons, threatening their long-term viability and severely impacting marine ecosystems. Corals, as ecosystem engineers, have been identified as particularly vulnerable and important. To determine the sensitivity of corals and allied taxa to long-term exposure to very low carbonate concentrations, we examined the distribution and skeletal characteristics of coral taxa along a natural deep-sea concentration gradient on seamounts of SW Australia. Carbonate under-saturation had little evident effect on the depth distribution, growth or skeletal composition of live scleractinians or gorgonians, with corals growing, often abundantly, in waters as much as 20 to 30% under-saturated. Developmental anomalies in the deepest skeleton-forming anthozoan collected (an isidid gorgonian, at nearly 4 km depth) suggest an absolute low tolerance limit of about 40% under-saturation. Evidence for an effect of acidification on the accumulation of reef structure is ambiguous, with clear indications of dissolution of high-magnesium calcite (HMC) gorgonian skeletons at depths below 2300 m, but also abundant, old scleractinian skeletons well below the aragonite saturation horizon. The latter might be the result of ferromanganese deposition on exposed skeletons, which, however, may render them inhospitable for benthic organisms. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Thresher, RE Tilbrook, BD Fallon, S Wilson, NC Adkins, J |
author_facet |
Thresher, RE Tilbrook, BD Fallon, S Wilson, NC Adkins, J |
author_sort |
Thresher, RE |
title |
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
title_short |
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
title_full |
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
title_fullStr |
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
title_sort |
effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/80664 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 Thresher, RE and Tilbrook, BD and Fallon, S and Wilson, NC and Adkins, J, Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos, Marine Ecology - Progress Series, 442 pp. 87-99. ISSN 0171-8630 (2011) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/80664 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09400 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
442 |
container_start_page |
87 |
op_container_end_page |
99 |
_version_ |
1766158703987261440 |